Career Details

PhD - University of Sheffield (1994-1998)

Post-Doctoral Research Associate. University of Sheffield (1998-2003)

NERC Advanced Fellow, University of Aberdeen (2003-2008)

Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, Professor, University of Aberdeen (2008-2017) and Director of Research, Biological Sciences (2014-2017)

N8 Chair in Soil Microbial Ecology, The University of Manchester (2017-2025)

Chair in Soil Microbial Ecology, Lancaster University (2025-present)

Research Interests

I'm very keen to hear from prospective students in any area of terrestrial ecosystem ecology, but in particular the following topics:

• Terrestrial ecosystem functioning in urban environments
• Functioning of mycorrhizal symbioses and their response to global change
• Production of greenhouse gases in agri-ecosystems
• Impacts of global change on plant and soil biodioversity

Research Grants

Competitively won research funding from UKRI, charities and government departments. I have secured funding as PI or CoI for 38 awards with a total value of ~£23M

1. AFN Network+ “Monitoring farmland interventions for carbon capture and nature recovery” Project Lead: D Johnson. October 2024-Sept 2025. £50k.
2. NERC Pushing the Frontiers “Shrub-driven transformation of the alpine soil carbon cycle” Lead R Bardgett, Co-Lead D Johnson. £1M October 2024-Sept 2027. NE/Z000297/1.
3. BBSRC sLOLA “Rules of life in CO2-driven microbial communities: Microbiome engineering for a Net Zero future”. PI: S Nixon; CoI: D Johnson. 01/04/2024-31/03/2029. £5.317M. BB/Y003195/1.
4. Wigan Greenheart Landscape Recovery GHG Measurement. PI: Dr E Shuttleworth; CoI: D Johnson. April 2023-April 2024. £95,250.
5. BBSRC “European Partnering Award: Harnessing root-fungal symbioses for sustainable agri-ecosystems” PI: D Johnson; £30,000. BB/X018210/1
6. NERC Exploring the Frontiers (June 2022-May 2023). “Functioning of soil food webs in response to woodland expansion” PI: D Johnson. £99,930. NE/X011135/1.
7. DEFRA (01/10/22-31/03/26). “Ectomycorrhizal communities in forests: Shaping factors influencing ecosystem service delivery and resilience under projected climate change” PI: F Cox, CoI: D Johnson. £219,750. NCF-C12-FR
8. NERC Capital 2022 “A Swiss army knife for aerosol composition - a community Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometry facility” PI: Prof H Coe, CoI: D Johnson; £744,734. NE/X006131/1.
9. BBSRC/EJP Soils (May 2022-April 2026). “Symbiotic Solutions for healthy agricultural landscapes (SOIL-HEAL)” PI: D Johnson. £634,899. Lead award with funded collaborators in Germany, Italy and Ireland. BB/X000729/1
10. NERC Directed Highlight Topic (Dec 2021-Jan 2026). “Maximising Ecosystem Services in Urban Environments – MEaSURE”. PI: D Johnson. £2,489,791. To UoM: £1,648,404. NE/W003120/1.
11. NERC Standard Discovery (Feb 2022-Aug 2025). “Short-circuiting the terrestrial phosphorus cycle: symbiotic control of organic phosphorus mineralisation and uptake” PI: D Johnson. £799,997. NE/W000350/1
12. Knowledge Transfer Partnership “Development of Cell Assays for Assessing Non-ionic Surfactant Toxicity” PI: Prof Jian Lu, Manchester, CoI: D Johnson. With Syngenta Ltd, June 2021-Jan 2024. £235,089.
13. Royal Society FLAIR (Feb 2020-Feb 2023) “Manipulating plant and soil diversity to maximise resource capture and resilience in African agri-ecosystems” PI: D Johnson, CoI: E Njeru, Kenyatta University. £49560.
14. NERC Standard Discovery (Feb 2019-Sept 2023) “Disentangling mechanisms of co-adaptation between trees and soil food webs in response to environmental perturbations.” PI: D Johnson. £793k NE/S002189/1
15. NERC International Opportunities Fund (Feb 2018-Jan 2020) “Plant-soil feedbacks as drivers of seedling establishment in tropical and sub-tropical forests”. £48793. NE/R004986/1
16. NERC-NSF Standard Discovery (April 2017-2020). “Mycorrhizal drivers of SOM formation and decomposition” PI: Jens Subke, Stirling. NSFDEB-NERC. £443k. NE/P011098/1
17. NERC Standard Discovery (Feb 2017-2020). “Social networking in soil: Biodiversity as a selective force for inter-plant signalling”. PI: D Johnson. £625k. NE/P001823/1
18. NERC Standard Discovery (October 2016-April 2020). “Will more productive arctic ecosystems sequester less soil carbon? PI: Phil Wookey, Heriot Watt, CoI: D Johnson. £794k. NE/P002722/2.
19. NERC Capital Equipment “Isotope trace gas laboratory” £500k. PI: Y Teh
20. NERC Capital Equipment “In situ mobile isotope trace gas laboratory” £590k. PI: D Johnson (2017)
21. Scottish Government funded post-doc. “Soil system resilience to disturbance” £300k PI: D Johnson. April 2015-2018.
22. “Native biodiversity in human-impacted habitats: Applying NGS technology to arthropod assemblages in semi-natural and plantation oak woodlands.” (Value: £70000) NERC Open CASE (2016-2020). PI: Lesley Lancaster. Partner: Nadia Barsoum, Forest Research NE/N008499/1.
23. “What makes a specialist special? The physiology of ecological specialization in plant-fungal mutualisms”. May 2015-2018. NERC Standard. £630k. PI: D Johnson. NE/M015653/1.
24. “Controls on the stability of soils and their functioning under land use and climate change” April 2015-2018. NERC/BBSRC Soil Security. £1.629M. PI: R Bardgett; PI: Aberdeen component: D Johnson. CoI: Mark Emmerson, Liz Baggs, Franciska De Vries, Tancredi Caruso. NE/M017028/1.
25. “Explaining niche separation in tropical forests: feedbacks between root-fungal symbioses and soil phosphorus partitioning”. April 2015-2018. NERC Standard. £1.12M (£662754 to Aberdeen); PI: D Burslem, Co-I: D. Johnson, A Taylor, A Douglas and T Helgason (York). NE/M004848/1.
26. “A rhizotrait framework for the northern and southern hemispheres” BBSRC International Partnering Award (2014-2018).Value: £30561. PI: EM Baggs, CoI: D Johnson. BB/L026759/1.
27. “Biodiversity and land-use impacts on tropical ecosystem function (BALI)”. NERC Human Modified Tropical Forests programme. ~£4.4M consortium led by Dr Yit Arn-Teh; PI for Aberdeen component (£888,892): D Johnson. The Aberdeen component funds 5 years of PDRA time and 3 years of technician time. NE/K016253/1.
28. “The importance of intra- and interspecific diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi on ecosystem functioning” October 2011-Sept 2014. NERC Standard. PI: D Johnson. Value £516,797. NE/I014527/1. This employs 1 PDRA for 37 months and research technician for 36 months. Co-I, Dr AFS Taylor.
29. “Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to carbon fluxes in grassland in response to climate manipulation” May 2011-October 2011. NERC Small. PI: D. Johnson. Value £64,928. NE/I017097/1. This is a collaborative grant with colleagues in Switzerland and will employ a PDRA for 6 months.
30. “Linkages between plant functional diversity, soil biological communities and ecosystem services in agricultural grassland” June 2011-May 2016. BBSRC Responsive. Value: ~£1.5M (Aberdeen £353,238). BB/I009183/1. PI: Prof RD Bardgett, Co-Is: D Johnson, EM Baggs, N Ostle.
31. “Contribution of plant intraspecific diversity to carbon turnover in grassland” May 2010-January 2011. NERC Small. PI: D. Johnson. Value: £52,197. NE/H010939/1. This involved collaboration with Prof Grime FRS and employed a PDRA for 6 months.
32. "How do interactions between herbivores and mycorrhizal fungi regulate production of plant signalling compounds and parasitoid behaviour?" October 2009-March 2013. NERC Open CASE. PI: D. Johnson. Value £65,937. NE/G012008/1. This is a collaboration with Prof J Pickett FRS at Rothamsted and Dr Gilbert, Macaulay Institute.
33. "Unravelling the functional diversity of fungi in ericaceous hair roots" NERC Small (PI: Prof IJ Alexander). July 2009-October 2010. Value: £53,059. NE/G010404/1.
34. "The significance of ericoid mycorrhizal mycelium for carbon turnover in heathland" October 2008-March 2012. NERC Open CASE. PI: D. Johnson. Value £67,173. NE/F013760/1.
35. "Can plant genotypic diversity select for mycorrhizal fungal diversity in grasslands?" Royal Society. June 2006-May 2007. PI: D. Johnson. Value: £7700.
36. "Mycorrhizal interactions in native pinewoods: are ericoid and ectomycorrhizal fungi genetically and functionally distinct?" October 2004-October 2009. NERC Standard (PI: Prof IJ Alexander) Value: £291,966. NE/C003128/1. This employed a PDRA for 4 years (80% FTE); I had a major role in development of the isotopic approaches that underpinned the work.
37. “Influence of soil mesofaunal communities on carbon flux to ectomycorrhizal fungi and saprotrophic microorganisms” September 2004-September 2006. NERC New Investigator. PI: D. Johnson. Value: £50,483. NE/C507510/1
38. NERC Advanced Fellowship. “Does below ground carbon allocation drive soil biodiversity in Boreal forests?” Sept. 2003-Sept 2008. PI: D. Johnson. Value: £243,604. NER/J/S/2002/00652.

PhD Supervisions Completed

Current research students (*designates where I am the lead supervisor):

1. Qiuyu Chen “Ectomycorrhizal Fungi – Oxidizers of Soil Organic Matter” Chinese Academy of Sciences
2. Emma-Lee Peterson “Environmental impacts on the diversity and functioning of soil fungal networks” Departmental Scholarship
3. Kaydee Barker “Carbon sequestration by fungal and root necromass in grassland soils” BBSRC DTP
4. Hongchen Zhang* “Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions in agri-ecosystems across multiple scales” Self funded
5. Peng Huang* “Greenhouse gas emissions in urban ecosystems” Self funded
6. Tingting Tao* “How does below-ground carbon supply facilitate phosphorus cycling in grasslands?” Dean’s scholarship
7. Emily Ongus “Optimising grazing for carbon storage in grasslands” Dean’s Scholarship (Lead: R Bardgett)
8. Franziska Nagel “Microbial carbon cycling in geological CO₂ storage environments” Faculty scholarship (Lead: S Nixon)
9. Matthew Johns “Optimising carbon sequestration and ecosystem service delivery through wetland habitat restoration in Mountains, Moorland and Heathlands.” Self funded (Lead: S Boult)
10. Brenden Beckett “Constraints on plant-herbivore interactions under global environmental change” (Lead: J Lynn).

Completed studentships:

1. Clare Trinder, BBSRC funded. “Carbon cycling in regenerating peatlands”. (With Dr RRE Artz, James Hutton Institute). 2004-2007.
2. Niki Papanikolaou, DEFRA/Macaulay Institute. “Impacts of increased nitrogen deposition on carbon and nutrient dynamics in montane ecosystems”. 2004-2007.
3. Miranda T. Prendergast, NERC funded. Does carbon flux from mycorrhizal fungi stimulate N2O production in soils? (With Prof EM Baggs) 2005-2008.
4. Pauline Currey, 6th Century/Macaulay funded. Interactions between atmospheric nitrogen deposition and carbon dynamics in peatlands. (With Dr RRE Artz, James Hutton Institute). 2005 -2009.
5. EleniSiasou, 6^th Century/Greek Government. Interactions among a soil-borne pathogen, mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobacteria (With Prof K Killham and Dr D Standing). 2006-2010.
6. Anna Wilkinson, NERC funded. "Regulation of soil respiration by mycorrhizal fungi-does diversity matter? (with Prof Ian Alexander) 2007-2011.
7. Sunday Popoola, Self funded “Interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and crop pathogens in inter-cropped farming system-implications for phosphorus uptake”. 2008-2011.
8. Ully Kritzler, NERC Open CASE. “The significance of ericoid mycorrhizal mycelium for carbon turnover in heathland” (with Prof I Alexander and Dr RRE Artz, Macaulay Institute). 2008-2012.
9. Mohd F. Ahmad Ramli, Malaysian Government funded. “Phosphorus turnover in organic soils”. 2008-2013.
10. Faez Ologaidi, Self funded. Interactions between rice and phosphorus in soils (Lead Dr A Price). 2009-2013.
11. Zdenka Babikova, NERC Open CASE. “How do interactions between herbivores and mycorrhizal fungi regulate production of plant signalling compounds and parasitoid behaviour?” (with Prof J Pickett FRS and Dr T Bruce, Rothamsted Research and Dr L Gilbert, James Hutton Institute). 2009-2012.
12. Rosnida Tajuddin, Malaysian Government. “Role of specialist and generalist ectomycorrhizal fungi in forests” (with Prof I Alexander). 2009-2013.
13. Stuart Smith, BBSRC “Enhancing carbon sequestration through grazing management” (with Dr R van der Wal and Dr S Woodin and R Pakeman, JHI). 2009-2013.
14. Bayezid Khan, British Council Commonwealth Scholarship. “Interactions between arsenic and mycorrhizal fungi in agroforestry crops” (with Prof AA Meharg). 2010-2014.
15. Lucy Moore, NERC. “Interactions between ectomycorrhizal fungi and lower plants” (with Dr S Woodin). 2010-2014.
16. Alex van den Bos, joint University of Aberdeen/James Hutton Institute “Effects of differential disturbance on arbuscular mycorrhizal community structure and function” (with Drs T Daniell and A Bennett). 2011-2014.
17. Jenny Slater. Scottish Food Security Alliance. “Managing soils to promote plant defence against pests” (with Drs LA Gilbert and A Karley, James Hutton Institute). 2014-2017.
18. Peggy Ehrlich, MDT/University of Aberdeen. “Host Identity and Climate as Determinants of Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Distribution in Scotland” (Led by Dr Andy Taylor, with Prof Robin Pakeman, James Hutton Institute). 2014-2017.
19. Mike Ogden. University of Aberdeen. “How do fungi modify the soil physical environment?” (lead: Prof P Hallett). 2013-2017.
20. Nur Aqilah Mustafa Bakray. Malaysian Government. “Ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical forests” (Led by Andy Taylor, James Hutton Institute). 2015-2018.
21. José Van Paassen. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). "Upland management to increase carbon sequestration" (Lead: Dr Sarah Woodin, with Drs Andrea Britton, Rebekka Artz and Lorna Street). 2015-2018.
22. Matthew Guy MDT/University of Stirling. “Seabird-mediated impacts of marine environment changes on agri-ecosystem productivity” (With Drs L Gilbert and K Park). 2015-2018.
23. Adam Bilton “Resilience of grasslands to climate change” Faculty Scholarship (2020-2024)
24. Yaqian Zhang*. “Role of common mycorrhizal networks in grasslands” Self funded (2019-2024)
25. Tianyang Xu “How does plant biodiversity in grassland provide resilience to drought?” Self funded (2020-2024).
26. Yichen Zhou* “Importance of biotic and abiotic plant-soil feedback mechanisms in woodlands” Self funded

PhD Supervision Interests

I'm very keen to hear from prospective students in any area of terrestrial ecosystem ecology, but in particular the following topics: Terrestrial ecosystem functioning in urban environments Functioning of mycorrhizal symbioses and their response to global change Production of greenhouse gases in agri-ecosystems

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